heath robinson Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Hi all I'd like anyone's thoughts and suggestions for a good, reliable, not-too-expensive inverter welder. It's going to be used "in the field" as it were, so no mig, no big all-in-one stacks, needs to go in a belly-box on a truck. If I can afford one that has a plasma on it (truck has descent on-board air) I'd love it. A few names/units to look for second hand would be perfect. Thanks, Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_teunico Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Just have a look on eBay. For in field repairs will be better MMA or FCAW, as they don´t use gas and won´t be affected by wind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o_teunico Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 This combo is MMA , Plasma and TIG (for indoor use, of course). http://www.ebay.es/itm/170867160148?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 BTW. if used in-field you should use something that will work fine with a generator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forkrentfitter Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 boc have a thermadyne 160 amp on promo for £200+ vat at minute,we have at work for onsite repairs,seems pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Power isn't an issue, it's going onto what I'm quietly confident is the largest mobile solar rig in the country... I really wanted a few recommendations of makes, eBay has a bewildering array. Forkrentfitter, I may be being a berk, but I can't find a BOC site that has a welder on it. Any further clues? Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forkrentfitter Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 google mig tig and arc,down southampton way,there website shows them and gary may well price match,top bloke to deal with,bought my big oxford mig through him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 ^ +2 for Gary, top service good honest advice and fair to bludy good prices. Some machines he can get delivered direct from the manufactuer (as I did) so you don't pay shipping ! Aviod cheap carp esp on ebay buy a decent brand, thermodine is damned good Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thanks, I've dropped him a line. It actually seems relatively hard to find an MMA welder with a high duty cycle for a 4mm rod. There's a 200A one on eblag (Chinese parts, English company) that claims a 100% duty cycle at 153A, with a 2 year warantie, and what reviews I can find seem good, but it is essentially Chinese. Cheap enough to almost be worth a punt, at £229. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271138436055?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 The other one I've been peering at is the Parweld XTi 160 (seems identical to Gary's thermal arc 161s, without the 110V ability), as my local welding shop recommended them, and said they've used one (older model) as their backup/loan welder for about 7yrs without a single issue! Also has a touch-start tig function. That I found on the bay for under £220 delivered, and it has a 60% cycle at 155A. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PARWELD-XTI-160-MMA-INVERTER-ARC-WELDER-TIG-WELDER-/281022458687?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item416e3e6b3f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantastic Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 What did you end up going with? I'm doing the same research at the moment and I've independently narrowed it down to the same ones myself. Plus a Termal Arc 175SE that seems like good piece of kit too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'm going down to the Inverter Fusion factory in Honiton, to wave fistfuls of cash at them and see what kind of deal I can get. It's the same gear that Gary at Mig Tig and Arc suggested, but i though that as the factory was just down the road i might get an even better deal. Although Gary was by a little margin the cheapest I could find on line. I'm currently looking at their 180MA box, which is more than I intended to spend, but it really is made in Britain, and better yet made in the southwest, it has a high duty cycle, a good reputation, and I've seen one of these that's been used and abused by a foundry in chard, and although it was astounding battered and looked fit for the bin, it worked immaculately. The only reason I didn't have it in the running before was that I couldn't read the face plate... I tried the Parweld 160, and for most stuff, it's exceptional. Small, well made, really good little lump, and only £190 here - http://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/welding/Parweld-XTI-160-MMA-Inverter-XTI160MMA.html. If the spectre of some really heavy plate welding hadn't reared it's head, I'd have bought it I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Having looked at that Thermal Arc, I think that that would be a better bet than the 160, but it's probably much of a muchness. May have a bit better top end performance, but I've not used one to compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantastic Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Dilema dilema dilema I won't need the extra top end of the Termal Arc and the Parweld has a small edge when it comes to duty cycle. Either would seem like a sound pick anyway so I will see which one I can get a better deal on. Looks like the Parweld at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Quick report, I went down to Inverter Fusion today, and got a 180MA from them (100% duty cycle at 160a at 40 degrees c! Essentially, at about 25 centigrade, it has a 100% duty cycle flat out). I have to say, nice guys, great service, and the whole lot (welder and heavy duty 400a cables etc) with a box of 7013 2.5mm rods and a box of 6013 4mm rods, for just less than the price of the welder alone from Mig Tig & Arc before postage. Not that Gary wasn't helpful mind. It's really nice to have bought something like this from a local company not just because they're local, but because it's the best tool for the job. Having spent the day overloading my car with some loverly oak, several hundred meters of beautiful canvas and a welder and rods, I haven't had time to fire it up yet, and tomorrow I need to pick friends from heathrow tomorrow, and have a spoon making workshop (leave it...) on Sunday, so I ain't going to get a chance to fire it up until Monday! Grrr. Dan, I spoke to a mate who owns a 175SE, and has used a Parweld 160, and he completely disagreed with me, and confirmed what you're thinking. The Parweld works better, harder, for longer, by his estimation. And for under £200 it's not to be sniffed at. Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantastic Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Thanks Jake! It's great to hear from someone who has actually used both. That's great news even better as its the cheaper one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I was debating getting the TIG attachment for my Green3K, or even asking if the TIG attachment for that Parweld would fit, but I wonder if its worth it. The only thing I note thought is I think its £192 for the stick welder, the TIG attachment is another £75. Thats how I read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 I think (from looking at one in my local welding shop) that almost any scratch-start gear will fit any appropriate welder, so long as the dinse plug on the cable fits the socket, and the torch has a gas flow/cutof control, and the amp rating matches up. As the gas doesn't go through the welder, all the welder knows of it is when the tip makes contact with the work piece. There are generic torches, regulators and the rest, that'll fit any scratch start rig, not that I'd recommend them over a known make, I just mean that you don't have to buy a Parweld torch just because you have a Parweld box. Looking at weldequip's offerings, it strikes me that a quick call to them or MigTig&Arc oryour local suppliers or whoever could sort you out with a torch to suit both you and your box. All the different backs, tips, flexi-heads etc. aren't things I understand, but I reckon someone might be along presently to enlighten us, with a bit of luck. I think that if I come to getting one, I'll give the guys I got the welder from a ring, and compare it to the weldequip one. That seems to be the best priced reputable one so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I think I'll give those guys a call.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I've had a scratch start tig for quite a while, any of the scratch start torches should work fine if it has the right fitting as said. One thing that was done fairly soon after trying scratch start was to modify the welder for a foot pedal to control the current, it's far kinder to the electrode starting on a lower current and the added control transforms the welding experience. It's a simple mod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincsoldbird Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Had a Green 3K for 10 years can,t fault it building boats. Also use it as a tig for stainless tanks, with scratch start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I don't suppose you've got a manual for it have you? Seem to have lost mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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